DSME (Daewoo Shipbuilding
and Marine Engineering), celebrates its partnership with BAE Systems
Australia Limited, BMT Defence Services Ltd, L-3 Communications and
SAAB with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at
the Pacific 2015 International Maritime Exposition in Sydney. The
signing took place on Tuesday 6th October at the DSME stand.

Daewoo Shipbuilding
and Marine Engineering
stand at Pacific 2015

The
MoU reinforces DSME's commitment to local participation in its tender
response to the SEA 1654 Maritime Operational Support Capability Program.
The proposal submitted includes a bespoke version of BMT's Aegir®
family of vessel designs, as well as a feasible, proven and cost effective
strategy for the sustainment of the vessels.

The timetable, as
it presently stands, calls for market solicitation to begin early in
the project, followed by First Pass Approval in the 2013/14 to 2014/15
timeframe. A Year of Decision is set to occur between 2016 and 2018
with an Initial Operational Capability (when the complete materiel system
is accepted into Navy service) to follow sometime between 2021 and 2023.

According to the
DCP, “Final Operational Capability will occur when the full
scope of the project, including the mission, support and training systems
and facilities, if required, have been delivered and accepted into operational
service”. At this point in time, no Life of Type for the
new vessel has been identified.

SEA 1654 Phase 3
is valued at between $500 million and $1 billion and, aside from the
desire to construct the vessel in a local shipyard, there are major
opportunities for Australian Industry Participation.

In the meantime,
in order to meet IMO standards for the carriage of Petrol, Oil &
Lubricants (POL), HMAS Success has recently undergone a lengthy period
of dockyard work to fit a double hull. This will enable the vessel to
meet international standards through to her eventual retirement in a
little over a decade from now.